


Bea

by ChelleDoggo



Category: 101 Dalmatian Street (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Animal Abuse, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Flashbacks, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hallucinations, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sad Backstory, Trauma, animal testing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:46:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24744796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChelleDoggo/pseuds/ChelleDoggo
Summary: The dalmatian family takes in a caged beagle puppy that mysteriously appears on their curb. As the dalmatians all do their part tend to their guest's physical and emotional injuries, they learn more about the pup's troubled past. [CW for graphic descriptions of animal testing/violence and PTSD/anxiety]
Comments: 9
Kudos: 26





	1. The Carrier on the Curb

**Author's Note:**

> Here is the character bio for Bea: https://refsheet.net/chelledoggo/Bea-Beagle
> 
> (I also may switch between they/them and she/her pronouns for Bea throughout the story. Bea has no real understanding of gender so they/she doesn't see them/herself as a "girl" per se.)

“Hey, Dee Dee!”

A dalmatian pup stood in the front window of the house, paws pressed against the glass, peering out in curiosity. Another pup soon joined by her side.

“What's up, Dizzy?” The second pup queried.

“Look at that thing out there!” Dizzy gestured towards a pet carrier sitting on the curb outside their house. “What do you think it is?”

“I dunno,” Dee Dee replied. “But I think I see a dog inside it. Maybe we should go check it out!”

Dizzy nodded, and the two scurried out the front door.

They pattered up to the carrier and peered in through the barred door.

All that could be seen in the darkness was a little furry ball curled up in the corner

“Helloooo?” Dizzy addressed the furry ball. “Are you alright in there?”

No answer, just the sound of wheezy breathing as the back of the furry ball rose and fell.

“What's the matter?” Dee Dee asked in concern. “Why aren't'cha sayin' anything?”

More silence...

Dizzy tried again to get the creature's attention. “He...Hello--”

“ _Shhhh...”_ A weak voice whispered from within the carrier. _“No bark...get p-punished...”_

“Punished?” Dizzy tilted her head in confusion. “By who?”

The creature inside the carrier slowly popped up its head and turned around, revealing itself to be a beagle puppy. Their face looked tired and emotionless, and yet still had a hint of fear in their eyes. The beagle seemed to be attempting to make sense of their new surroundings.

“It's okay!” Dee Dee assured the beagle. “No one's gonna punish you!”

The beagle slowly rose and turned their body towards the door. They began sizing up the dalmatian pups that stood outside.

“There you go!” Dizzy chimed with a smile. “I'm Dizzy, and this is my sister Dee Dee!”

“What's your name?” Dee Dee asked.

“ _Na...Name...?”_ The beagle echoed curiously.

“Y'know,” Dizzy replied. “What does everyone call you?”

“ _C...call...me...?”_

The beagle sat puzzling for a moment. They then raised the flap of their right ear, revealing a tattoo of some numbers.

Dizzy squinted and read out the writing on the beagle's ear.

“B...1...2...5...6...1?” Dizzy recited. “Hmm...That's an awfully long name.”

“How about we call you 'Bea,' for short?” Dee Dee suggested cheerfully.

“Yeah, 'Bea!'” Dizzy concurred. “That's a pretty name!”

“ _B..Beeeaaaa...?”_ the beagle whispered.

They pointed to each pup.

“ _Di...zzy...Dee...Dee...”_

They then pointed to themself.

“ _Beeeaaaa...”_

“That's right!” Dee Dee nodded. “C'mon, let's introduce you to the family!”

Dee Dee opened the door of the carrier, causing Bea to make a high-pitched howling sound.

“ _C-CLOSE DOOR...CLOSE DOOR...”_

“Ah!! Sorry!” Dee Dee quickly shut the door and locked it once again.

“Maybe we should get Mum and Dad to help...” Dizzy said, worriedly.

“Yeah,” Dee Dee turned towards Bea. “Don't worry, we'll be right back, okay?”

Bea just sat there, still shivering, as the two pups re-entered the flat.

A few minutes later, the dalmatian sisters re-emerged, along with an adult dalmatian couple.

The two adults peered into the cage.

“Oh dear...” the female, Delilah, murmured with a concerned expression. “You poor little pup...”

“Let's get you inside and checked out,” the male, Doug, gently proposed as he picked up the carrier's handle with his teeth and lifted it up.

Bea began screaming as if they were being tortured.

“It's okay, sweetie,” Delilah said in a calm tone. “I promise we're not going to hurt you. We just want to make sure you're healthy.”

Bea wasn't the least bit convinced, however. They continued to scream as they entered this strange new house.


	2. Examination

> _PATIENT NAME: “Bea”_
> 
> _SPECIES: Dog (Beagle)_
> 
> _DOB: Unknown_
> 
> _AGE: Unknown_
> 
> _SEX: F_

Delilah prepped her upstairs bedroom/examination room for the beagle pup. Dawkins stood by taking notes at his mother's dictation.

Doug soon entered the room with Bea's carrier in tow. He gently sat the carrier down on the makeshift exam table.

“It's okay, honey,” Doug assured the pup. “Dr. Delilah's just here to make sure you're okay. She's not gonna hurt you at all, I promise.”

Bea just stared back in silence.

Doug quietly exited the room, leaving Delilah to her work.

Delilah gently opened the door to the carrier.

“Bea, sweetie?” She asked quietly. “Can you come out, please, so I can have a look at you?”

No response. Bea stood glued to the corner of her carrier, still as a statue.

Delilah had no choice but to gently lift the pup out and place her on the table. She surprisingly showed no resistance whatsoever. Once Bea's paws were on the table, she just seemed to go completely still, as if in a trance.

“Dawkins,” Delilah instructed. “Take this down.”

Dawkins began quickly scribbling Delilah's observations:

> _NOTES:_
> 
> _Patient, who had originally vocalized resistance to being taken in, immediately went into a state of catatonia when placed onto the exam table. Her eyes stare straight forward into the distance, and she's salivating heavily. It's as if her consciousness went into shutdown, a common symptom of extreme emotional and/or mental trauma. Perhaps this state was visually triggered by the sight of medical apparatuses._

Delilah shined an otoscope into both of Bea's eyes.

> _Eyes heavily dilated. Exposure to bright light shows little reaction._

She then lifted the flap of Bea's ear. Surely enough, she immediately took notice of the number tattooed inside the flap.

> _Some sort of identification number is tattooed inside Patient's right ear flap. If this is any indication of where she originally came from, then I fear the worst._

“Bea?” Delilah gently asked. “C-can you hear me, sweetie?”

Bea was silent for a moment, but then slowly nodded her head, while still gazing into space.

“Can you tell me a little bit about where you came from, dear?” Delilah asked in a soothing voice. “It's okay, I promise I won't be angry."

Bea once again took a moment to process the words from Delilah's mouth.

“ _C...cages...”_ Bea droned weakly. _“Sh...shiny room...Smelly...Loud...humming sounds...Bright...lights...”_

“Dawkins, dear,” Delilah whispered. “Are you writing this down?”

Dawkins nodded as he continued to jot down Bea's mumblings.

“ _O...other dogs...Beagles”_ Bea continued. _“and...big creatures...white coats...rubbery hands...”_

Bea's head tilted down, now staring soullessly at the table beneath her.

“ _They...take dogs...put on table...do...things to them...”_

“What kind of things, dear?” Delilah asked quietly.

“ _Weird...water...”_ Bea mumbled. _“Put in eyes...in ears...in mouth...on skin...in food...It hurts us...Taste bad...Get sick...”_

Delilah felt her stomach churn, but did her best to maintain a calm expression for Bea's sake.

“ _Some dogs...can't see no more...can't hear no more...can't walk no more...and...Lots of dogs...go into big door...don't come back...ever...”_

Delilah's eyes welled up with tears, and she choked back sobs.

“ _Big creatures...”_ Bea continued, _“One day...come in...in a hurry...Take us all...outside...Put us in big box with wheels...then onto big metal flying thing...then in 'nother big wheely box...Big thump...back of big wheely box open...then...I here...”_

“Do...” Delilah tried to put on the best calming voice she could, “Do you know where they were taking you?”

Bea was silent for a moment. Her eyes suddenly went wild and her body began to spasm, as if she were a medium channeling a disgruntled spirit.

“Dammit! The feds are on their way!” She shouted in her approximation of an adult's voice. “We gotta ship these dogs to De Vil Labs in London! Pronto!”

Bea's body then relaxed, and she once again went back into her catatonic state. Her body plopped down on the table, exhausted.

Delilah quickly checked Bea's vitals. She was still alive and relatively well, but her state of panic had taken a lot out of her.

Delilah looked down contemplatively for what seemed like hours.

“Dawkins,” she finally spoke up. “Take this down...”

> _It seems that my fears have been confirmed. Patient “Bea” is, in fact, a laboratory beagle. She was among many beagles being used to test harmful chemicals for De Vil Industries._
> 
> _It boggles my mind to no end how evil some humans can be. Beagles are said to be some of the most trusting dogs on the planet, and these humans have taken advantage of that trust for their own gain._
> 
> _I can only imagine just what kinds of horrors this young pup has had to witness. How much torture. How many deaths. How close she might've been to her own untimely demise._
> 
> _As Dog as my witness, I will not allow Bea to return to that hellish life. She will live here with us until the time is right to find a new, loving home for her. Until then, I'll see to it that she receives all the love and care that she's been denied so far in her short life._
> 
> _She deserves so much more than what she's had to live through._


	3. Family Meeting

Delilah and Dawkins emerged from downstairs, with Bea following slowly behind with her head hanging low. Dolly and Dylan awaited them at the bottom of the stairs.

“So, what's the situation, mum?” Dolly asked.

“Are they gonna be alright?” Dylan inquired.

Delilah took a deep breath and thought for a moment.

“Call everyone into the living room for a family meeting,” she instructed the two eldest siblings. “I'll explain everything there.”

The two pups nodded and headed off to wrangle everyone together.

About five minutes later, all 99 pups sat anxiously waiting in the living room to hear what their mother had to say.

Delilah made her way to the front of the crowd of pups, softly coaxing Bea to follow her.

“Come along, sweetie,” Delilah whispered as she gently nudged the beagle along. “It's alright.”

With Bea now right by her side, Delilah sat up and cleared her throat.

“Pups,” she addressed her children and gestured toward the beagle pup. “I'd like you all to meet Bea. She's going to be staying with us for a while.”

The cacophonous voices of 99 pups greeting at once filled the room.

“Hi, Bea!”

“Hello, Bea!”

“Hiya, Bea!”

“Oi, Bea!”

“Nice to meet you, Bea!”

“ _Namaste_ , Bea.”

“Hey, Bea!”

Bea quickly shuddered and hid behind the mother dalmatian.

Delilah sighed as she gently pat the beagle's head.

“Kids,” she began again. “There's something you should all know about Bea...About where she came from and what she's been through. It's a very harsh reality – one that you've all been lucky enough not to have experienced, but one that everyone should be aware of.”

The room fell silent as all the pups gazed forward in attention.

“You see,” Delilah continued, “Bea is a laboratory beagle. That means she's spent her life up until now in a laboratory run by humans and used to test potentially dangerous chemicals.”

“ _What!?_ ” Dolly exclaimed. “No way! Humans are _so_ scummy!”

“No, Dolly,” Delilah sighed. “Not _all_ humans. Most humans are kind, gentle creatures. I know that because I work with them every day. However, there are some humans out there who pay very little mind to the well being of other creatures. Be it out of apathy, greed, or pure malice, there are humans out there who will callously put the lives of other animals at risk for their own personal gain.”

“Yeah,” Delgado interjected. “Like that Cruella De Vil lady!”

“...Yes, Delgado,” Delilah affirmed. “Exactly like Cruella De Vil. In fact, the laboratory Bea came from was using beagles to test products for De Vil Industries.”

The pups all gasped and murmured to each other in disbelief.

Bea was now hyperventilating behind Delilah. All this talk was triggering a panic attack in the poor pup.

Delilah gently brought her left front leg around Bea to comfort her.

“Pups,” Delilah calmly stated. “Our new friend Bea has been through a lot in her life up until now. She suffers from severe anxiety and trauma disorders. I'm asking you all to please be as gentle around her as possible, and help her to feel calm and comfortable while she recovers. It's our duty as dogs to all do whatever we can to aid her in her time of need, understood?”

The pups in Delilah's audience all solemnly nodded.

Delilah smiled. “I'm proud of you pups. I know you'll all help Bea feel right at home here.”

The mother dalmatian then turned towards the beagle.

“Bea,” she said softly. “I'll show you to where you'll be staying.”

She then turned to Dylan.

“Dylan, dear,” she addressed. “Can you please get dinner ready?”

“Of course, mum,” Dylan replied with a smile.

The pups watched with teary eyes as Bea ascended the staircase with Delilah.

Bea glanced back at the crowd of concerned pups below. She didn't know how to process what she was feeling right now. The only life she'd known up until this point was a cold, steel room where all the dogs were separated in cages.

And yet here were all these dalmatians walking freely about in a communal home together. No cages, no humans, no whirring machines or syringes full of Dog-knows-what.

It was warm, inviting...

 _...loving_.

Was a life like this allowed to exist for dogs? What if they all got caught? What if a big creature in a white coat was hiding behind the corner ready to administer punishment at a moment's notice?

She then looked up into the kindly face of the mother dalmatian.

And she suddenly felt...slightly less afraid.


	4. The First Night

Twenty minutes after the family meeting, all the dogs in the house were gathered downstairs enjoying their dinner...

...All the dogs, except for one.

Bea merely sat at her place at the table, staring in a daze at the soft meal placed before her. She was salivating slightly, but didn't even touch her food.

“Hey, Bea,” Dolly addressed the pup concernedly. “You okay?”

Bea was silent for a few seconds, then slowly looked up.

“ _What...this...?_ ” she asked in a weak voice.

Deepak leaned in and smiled.

“It's organic raw-food kibble softened with free-range goats' milk,” the yin-yang-faced pup answered. “It's good for you, and it's my personal favorite.”

“ _Foo...Food...?_ ” Bea squeaked.

“That's right, honey,” Doug replied, sitting just a few spaces away.

“ _Hmmm..._ ” The tiny, malnourished beagle pondered quizzically.

Dylan tilted his head. “What's wrong, Bea?”

Bea just sat there cringing.

“ _Um..._ ” She tried to articulate her thoughts. “ _They...put weird water in food...Taste bad...always get sick when eat..._ ”

Her listless eyes began welling up with tears. “ _One time I eat food...feel dizzy...heavy...couldn't move...was scary...thought I was gonna die...Thought...they were gonna take me through big door...”_

All the pups nearby began quietly gasping and murmuring to one another.

“Bea, sweetie, I _promise_ ,” Delilah assured as she lay a paw on the beagle's shoulder. “There's nothing in here that's going to hurt you. Please, eat for me. You need to build your strength up.”

Bea looked at her food once again, eyeing it over hesitantly. She clenched her eyes shut and took a small nibble. As she chewed and swallowed the tiny bit of kibble, her eyes opened up wide.

The pups around her watched in anticipation of how she would react.

“ _G...Goo...Good!_ ”

Bea gazed at her bowl with teary eyes before digging into the rest of her kibble.

She took big, energetic bites in-between sobs of gratitude. It was the first decent food she'd ever had in her entire life; a far cry from the bitter, chemical-laced dry food she'd previously became accustomed to.

Everyone watched quietly as Bea quickly cleared out her bowl. Delilah was relieved to see the skinny little beagle eat all her kibble.

After dinner, Delilah brought Bea to the bathroom for a bath while Dylan and Dolly got the pups ready to settle down for bed.

Bea showed no resistance to being put into the tub or being lathered with shampoo. She stood perfectly still, just staring out into the distance as she had before.

The beagle's fur seemed to be crusty, as if her hygiene had never really been tended to before. Delilah also took notice to deep claw and bite marks all over Bea's legs and rump. She could only assume these were a result of the skin irritations caused by contact with chemicals.

The mother dalmatian was certain to clean and disinfect every wound with the peroxide that she had in the medicine cabinet.

Once Bea was gently towel-dried, Delilah sent her up to the pups' bedroom.

Bea's bed was set up in a corner, separate from most of the other pups. She was given a soft, round pet bed with blankets and some cuddly toys, as well as a small, pink night light in the nearby wall outlet.

“If you need anything tonight, just bark, okay?” Delilah whispered as she gently pulled a blanket over Bea.

“ _B...But..._ ” Bea began to nervously protest.

“I promise,” Delilah assured her. “No one will punish you for barking here. You're perfectly safe here. We won't let anyone or anything hurt you. Now, try to get some rest, okay, sweetie?”

Bea hesitantly nodded, as her eyes began to slide shut.

Delilah gave her a gentle lick on the forehead.

“Good night, Bea,” she whispered as tears started to well up in her eyes.

As Delilah exited, the pups in the room who were still awake stared at Bea for a while. They could only imagine what it must've been like for her. To be a dog caged up in a tiny laboratory. No family. No friends. No sunshine or fresh air. No warm beds or goodnight kisses. Only waking up every morning to be put through hell, wondering when or even _if_ it'd ever end.

Fate had dealt Bea a good hand. She'd been fortunate enough to escape that life and end up in front of 101 Dalmatian Street. She'd been given a chance that none of the other dogs in that truck could've dreamed of having.

“Hey, guys...” Dizzy whispered to her siblings. “We're gonna take good care of Bea, right?”

“Yeah!” Dee Dee nodded enthusiastically.

“Of course!” Da Vinci replied with a warm smile.

“She's been through so much,” Deepak murmured. “It's up to all of us to help heal her spirit.”

“No one's ever gonna hurt her again.” Delgado declared with a determined expression.

The pups all solemnly nodded at each other, before laying their heads down to sleep for the night.


End file.
